Whatever Happens
by get-a-grip38
Summary: After Season 2, Pam decided to go through with her wedding instead of calling it off. Now, six weeks later, she has some big news. Will be JAM, I promise. Starts between seasons 2 and 3.
1. Chapter 1

_Whatever Happens_

Summary: Instead of calling off her wedding because of Jim, Pam decided to marry Roy. Six weeks later, Pam has some big news. Set between Seasons 2 and 3 and will be JAM in a few chapters.

Reviews are great (hint hint).

Enjoy!

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Pam sat alone in the booth, sipping her glass of orange juice slowly. The diner she was in fit in well with the stereotype diner. It was small, with worn, dark leather booths and waitresses who looked like they were dragged kicking and screaming out of the sixties. There were bells on the door that clanged every time someone came in, and the whole place reeked of coffee. The diner was just off the highway in what just so happened to be the town that was the exact midpoint between Scranton and Stamford. The small establishment was bustling, obviously in the middle of its morning rush. All the booths were full, no doubt of people just finishing their breakfast before hurrying off to a day of work. 

She was not going to hurry off to work when she finished her O.J. She was waiting for someone.

Was she nervous to see him again? A little. Okay, more than a little. A quick glance at her watch revealed that he was running late. Pam wondered briefly if he was lost, or stuck in traffic, or had decided to not come at all. She slumped slightly at the thought. Surely he was coming. Surely he wouldn't stand her up like this.

To get her mind off the idea that maybe he wasn't coming, Pam recalled the conversation between them. It was strange, really; the whole thing had only lasted for a few sentences, but now that Pam thought about it, she probably wouldn't have called him at all had it not been for the conversation. She could remember it so clearly, as if it had happened just five minutes ago…

_It was the day of the Casino Night charity event, and despite herself, Pam was excited. She was looking forwards to getting dressed up for the event. Pam had purchased a new dress for the occasion, regardless of how Roy insisted that she already had plenty of suitable clothing, and it's always fun to wear something new. Especially if it's something that makes you feel pretty, that makes you feel like maybe you're not just some ordinary person. Like maybe you're extraordinary. _

_Of course, she was also eager to see how everybody else looked when they were dressed up. She wondered whether or not Michael would actually wear a tuxedo, if Kelly would be wearing something more suitable for the Academy Awards, and naturally, what Jim would look like. Pam had always kind of wondered if he was the kind of guy who could pull off a tuxedo, or if it made him look like a vampire or something. She was hoping it was the latter; in fact, she had bought an inexpensive set of plastic fangs to complete the look, just in case._

_Pam's plans for the day included leaving work just a few minutes early, to make sure that both she and Roy had time to shower before returning to the warehouse for the party. She'd been about to start packing up her stuff to go home when Jim approached her desk. _

"_Hey," she said, smiling. "You excited for Casino Night?_

"_Yeah, I'm sure it'll be great," Jim replied absentmindedly, drumming his fingers lightly on her desk. "Listen, can I talk to you for a second?"_

"_Of course," Pam replied, smiling fading as she saw the serious expression on his face. "Are you okay?"_

"_Me? No, I'm fine," he answered. "Listen, you're getting married soon, and I'm heading off to Australia in a few days, so I just wanted to… to make sure you know this. It's not a big deal, or anything."_

_Pam thought that the expression on his face suggested otherwise. "I'm listening," she said sincerely._

"_It's just…" Jim began softly. Pam placed her elbows on her desk and leaned forwards slightly to hear him better. " You know you can always tell me anything, right? No matter how big or weird or whatever, you can tell me," Jim explained slowly. "You can tell me anything."_

_Pam smiled faintly. "I know. And you can always tell me anything. Whatever's on your mind."_

_Jim returned her grin. "Thanks." He straightened, and then bent back down. "I don't suppose there's anything you'd like to get off your chest now, is there?"  
_

_Pam's eyes flickered towards the ceiling as she pretended to think about it, before coming back to rest on Jim. "Nope, nothing groundbreaking right now. But I'll keep you posted."_

"_Thanks," Jim replied lightly. "I better go get back to work, so…"_

"_Right. I'm actually about to take off, so I'll see you later at Casino Night?"_

"_I'd bet on it, Beesly," he answered, heading back to his desk, still smiling._

"Would you like anything else?" The waitress' question brought Pam back from her reverie. "Some coffee, or some food?"

Pam shook her head. "No thanks. Maybe when my friend gets here," she answered.

The waitress nodded and walked away. Pam felt a little bad; undoubtedly, the waitress wished she would leave so the waitress could earn more tips. Hopefully he wouldn't be much longer, and then they could order and then…. Well, one thing at a time.

Pam took another sip of her orange juice, and began to think about the conversation again. Immediately after Casino Night, the conversation had been forgotten in wake of the kiss and Jim's profession of his love. She hadn't remembered it until after Jim left for Australia. Then she figured that he had been trying to set the stage for his declaration. Maybe he had even been trying to get her to speak first. And then Jim had transferred to Stamford, and she had not had the chance to discuss anything with him.

It was only a little over a week ago that Pam had begun to hope that Jim had been meant beyond Casino Night.

_It was a risky move, Pam knew, trying to call him at work. There was a good chance that someone else might overhear, and she didn't think she could handle that right now. But she didn't want to call from home, where Roy might overhear. After just a few weeks without contact, her fingers felt strange dialing the familiar number of Jim's cell phone. She was moderately surprised that she still remembered the number. And then it rang once, twice… seemingly forever._

_And then he picked up._

"_Jim Halpert," he said. He said it casually, and Pam suspected that he hadn't looked at the caller ID before answering. She didn't think he could have answered so nonchalantly had he known it was her._

"_Hey, Jim, it's Pam," Pam said, her voice more choppy than she would have liked._

"_Oh, hey."_

_Pam thought he sounded as though he thought it was weird. Maybe it was. "I'm sorry if this is awkward, or anything…" She trailed off, hoping he would say something to alleviate the sense that she was wrong to call._

_He did. "No, no, it's not weird," Jim assured her. "Actually, I was thinking about calling to see how things were going back in Scranton."_

_She doubted he was telling the truth. If he'd really wanted information about Scranton, he would have asked somebody else rather than talk to her after the ill-fated Casino Night. But at least he was trying. "Things are okay, I guess. As you can imagine, Dwight's not exactly devastated that you're gone. Michael's taking it personally. Oh, and Ryan's been promoted to sales."_

"_Sounds great."_

"_Yeah, but people miss you," Pam said, twisting the phone cord around her fingers._

"_What can I say? I'm a great guy."_

"_Yeah." Pam hesitated. Now that the small talk had been exhausted, she needed to get to the point of her call. "Look, Jim, I was wondering if you would consider meeting me for lunch. Not like a date, or anything. We could meet halfway between Scranton and Stamford, if you want. Or I could go to Stamford. If you really want to, you could come back to Scranton. I just… I just have something I wanted to talk to you about," Pam finished weakly, realizing how desperate she sounded. She hadn't meant to sound desperate; Pam had wanted to sound confident and smooth, as though this was no big deal._

"_Uh…" For a single, heart-stopping moment, Pam thought he was actually going to say no. _

"_Please? It's important."_

"_Sure," he said finally._

_Pam was unable to suppress a smile as she gave him the location of a diner evenly between Scranton and Stamford. Jim and Pam made plans to meet there for breakfast in a week, and they exchanged final "see you thens" before hanging up._

Pam looked at her watch again. 9:20. He was supposed to be there twenty minutes ago, and if he wasn't there in five more, she was leaving. She had to be back to work before eleven, or it would count as a whole vacation day rather than coming in late.

She downed the rest of her orange juice. Having nothing better to do, Pam studied the menu. It was typical breakfast fare: pancakes, eggs, bacon, cereal. Nothing special. If he showed up, Pam decided that she would order Breakfast Special #4, which consisted of scrambled eggs, hash browns, and a stack of buttermilk pancakes. She would need a refill on her juice, as well.

She checked her watch. 9:27. He hadn't come, and it was time to go. As Pam grabbed her purse and pulled out a few bills to cover the orange juice and tip, she felt great pangs of disappointment, and a few tears began to well up in her eyes. She really thought he would come. Pam wondered briefly if he had ever intended on coming, or if he just said yes to get off the phone faster. It didn't really matter, she decided. At least she tried.

Pam stood up just as the bells rang, signifying that the door had opened to admit some one. She glanced up, and saw Jim standing in the doorway, as promised.

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Soooo? Please review. 


	2. Chapter 2

_Whatever Happens_

Chapter 2: The News

Thank you very much to the people who reviewed last chapter; reviews really make my day!

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Even though the walk from his car to the door of the diner had only taken thirty seconds, Jim was relieved to realize that the diner had functioning air conditioning. Being mid-July, temperatures tended to be in the eighties and nineties nearly every day, and today was certainly no exception.

Just inside the door, Jim stopped and looked around, searching for her familiar face amongst all those of strangers. After a moment, he saw Pam on the other side of the diner near the back. He tensed slightly as he saw that she was looking at him, before forcing a smile and moving past the booths until he reached hers.

"Hey," Pam said, in greeting, sliding back into her booth. "I was starting to think you weren't coming."

Jim also sat, trying to ignore his suddenly racing heartbeat. A quick glance at her left hand revealed that her engagement ring had been replaced by a different diamond ring: her wedding ring. It was strange, being so close to her again. It would have been weird anyway, but knowing she was married too…. Now Jim felt like it was wrong for them to be there, together. Jim wondered briefly if Roy knew Pam was eating with him.

Jim realized that she was staring at him, expecting an answer. "I got a little bit lost on my way here." Even to him, the words sounded false. False they were; the only place where Jim had gotten lost was in his thoughts. For the past half-hour, he had been sitting in his car in the parking lot, trying to decide whether or not he really wanted to go in. It would be awkward, he knew. There was no way around that. This was the first time he had seen Pam since Casino Night, and Jim had to admit, she was a sight for sore eyes. But thanks to his confession at Casino Night, all Jim's cards were on the table. She knew how he felt, but he was still in the dark about her feelings. How did she feel? On the phone, Pam had said that this wasn't a date. What was it then? Two friends out at lunch? Were they even friends any more? And _what_ did she want to talk about?

All these questions were getting Jim nowhere, however. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he added, picking up the menu.

"Oh, it's not a big deal," she replied, tucking a stray piece of hair back behind her ear absently. Jim smiled slightly; he knew that was a nervous habit of hers. At least he knew she was anxious as well.

"Glad to see you finally showed," a waitress remarked as though Jim and she were old friends, sidling up to their table.

"Yeah, got a bit lost on my way here," Jim told her, feeling sheepish.

The waitress chuckled slightly, and Jim suspected that she was laughing at him. "What can I get you two?"

While Pam ordered one of the breakfast specials, Jim wasn't listening as he scanned the menu. Perhaps it was the drive, or maybe it was just being here, alone, with Pam, but for some reason the words on the menu made no sense to him. They may as well have been in a foreign language. "I'll have that also," he said, once Pam had finished. Jim trusted that Pam hadn't ordered something absolutely disgusting.

"Two breakfast special 4's," the waitress repeated. "More juice? Coffee?"

"I'll have coffee," Jim requested, folding his menu back up and setting it behind the condiments.

"More orange juice would be great," Pam said, doing the same.

"Be back in a jiffy," the waitress vowed, walking over to another table.

Across the table from him, Pam brought a hand to her mouth to cover a smile. "Who actually uses the word jiffy any more?"

In spite of his discomfort with the situation, Jim couldn't suppress a grin. "I thought it died out after the eighties," he said. "I'm pretty sure there was a funeral and everything."

She giggled. "And here I thought jiffy was buried at sea."

"There is some historical dispute."

"Your coffee, and your juice." Jim and Pam froze instantly; the waitress was back and they could only hope that she hadn't overheard. She set their drinks down in front of them. "Your food should be out in a few minutes."

As she walked away for a second time and it became apparent that she had not heard them, both Jim and Pam collapsed into fits of laughter. For a moment, it was like old times. The two of them, having fun together, laughing, grinning. Nothing was awkward. Nothing between them was weird. They could be friends. They could still have a relationship as friends. It could work.

And then Jim paused for breath, and looked over at her, and thought about how beautiful she looked, and the illusion shattered. He immediately dropped his gaze to his silverware set, but it was too late. The grin slid off his face; suddenly, nothing was funny anymore. For the past six weeks, Jim had worked so hard to repress his feelings for her, to block the pain, but in that instant, all of his feelings came flooding back.

Fortunately, Pam didn't seem to have noticed that anything was wrong. Her laughter was winding down on it's own and Jim took the opportunity to steer the conversation to whatever it was she wanted to talk about so badly. "So," he began, clearing his throat. "What did you want to talk about?"

Jim couldn't be sure, but he thought her smile shrank some. "Um," Pam began, uncertainly. "Well…."

"Two breakfast special number 4's," the waitress announced, setting two plates laden with food and a piece of paper down in front of them. "And your bill."

"Thank you," Jim said, genuinely surprised. Pam had ordered a _lot_ of food; Jim wasn't even sure he could eat all of his share.

"Yes, thanks," Pam echoed, setting her napkin in her lap. "I'm starving," she added, taking a large bite of her scrambled eggs. Jim just smiled weakly, and poured syrup over his pancakes.

For several minutes, neither spoke as they sat in silence while they ate. When Jim had eaten half of his food, he could stand the silence no longer. "So what did you want to talk about?" He repeated his question, setting his fork down.

Pam remained quiet for another moment, slicing her pancakes, before she too set her silverware down. "Well… You know Roy and I got married about a month and a half ago," Pam started. "And we got back from the honeymoon a little more than a month ago."

"And now you're living happily ever after?" Jim guessed, trying to keep any bitterness from slipping into his voice. She knew how he felt; it hardly seemed fair for her to rub it in his face.

Pam smiled slightly. "Things are pretty good between us now," she revealed. "Roy's a lot less stressed now that it's over with."

Jim wanted to point out that a wedding should never be something that is "gotten over with", rather something that is celebrated and cherished, but he merely nodded. Somehow, he didn't think his sentiments would be appreciated.

"Well…" Pam tucked another strand of hair back behind her ear. "Roy and I… we're, well, we're going to be parents." She smiled nervously. "Roy and I are going to have a baby."

For a second, Jim thought she was joking, that this was some sick prank. But Pam wasn't laughing at the undoubtedly comical expression of shock on his face, and she wasn't exclaiming anything along the lines of, "gotcha!". Was she really serious? Her… and Roy? A baby?

"Wow. Just… wow," he heard himself say, although he couldn't claim responsibility for the words. They just seemed to come out of their own accord. It was a good thing Jim had already eaten half of his food, because his appetite had vanished quicker than Houdini ever could have. In fact, Jim seriously doubted whether his appetite would ever return at all. God, a baby? His heart was pounding, so loudly he was amazed she couldn't hear it. "Wow, that's…" Jim trailed off again, not really meaning to speak out loud.

"C'mon, what do you think?" Pam laced her fingers together on the table.

Jim looked at the expression on her face. She was still grinning anxiously, eyes shining, and he knew she was really excited about this. Jim could tell that Pam wanted him to be excited too. Excited for her, excited for Roy. Excited for the both of them. Jim swallowed hard. "I… I think that's great," he said finally, struggling to return her smile. "I think you'll be a great mother."

Her smile was one of relief now. "Really? You think so?"

Jim nodded. "This is really… really great. Congratulations to you two."

Pam leaned back in the booth, laughing now. "Thanks. Thank you."

"So you're really pregnant, huh?" Jim mused aloud. "Wow."

She nodded vigorously, hair bouncing. "I know, right? It's crazy! I just… I still can't believe it's really happening, you know? I've wanted to have kids for so long, and now it's happening…. Roy was so surprised when I told him, too."

Ah yes, Roy. "What does Roy think of all this?" Jim asked, fingers bending the corners of his napkin because he didn't know what else to do with his hands.

"Oh, he's thrilled. I told him the day before yesterday, and he seemed very excited," Pam explained. "My mom was, too. She's thrilled that she's going to be a grandma," she added, positively beaming.

Jim nodded slightly. "Is it a boy or a girl?" He asked without really thinking, in an attempt to just keep the conversation going. As long as they were talking, Jim didn't have to think about what this all meant. As long as they were talking, Jim didn't have to feel.

Pam giggled. "Jim, I'm only like four weeks. I won't find out the gender for a few months."

"Right, dumb question. Sorry, I've never given birth to a baby before," Jim remarked.

"That's probably a good thing," she told him. Pam tilted her head to one side. "You really think it's a good thing?"

"I'm sure it's a good thing," He answered.

"Good. I'm glad," Pam said. "Hey, you going to eat that bacon?"

Jim glanced at his own half-eaten meal, and then at Pam's empty plate. "Nah, help yourself."

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Please review! 


	3. Chapter 3

_Whatever Happens: Chapter 3_

I would like to give a big thank you to all the people who are reading this story, especially to the ones who are reviewing. Reviews are wonderful. On that note...

maddikinze940 and dancer288: I'm glad you two like it so far. I don't like the idea of Roy and Pam having kids either, but bear with me :)

Ashely: Wow, your first line made me panic a little! My main goal is to keep everyone in character as much as possible, so it means a lot to me that you felt Jim was correct. And, of course, it won't be easy getting there, but Jim and Pam will end up together. I'm a sucker for a happy ending, lol.

Jamlover, Moony44, and pambeesly: I'm glad you're all enjoying it so far!

Sorry this chapter took so long to get up. I probably started it four separate times, and never finished with something I really liked. This is more of a transition chapter anyway.

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_Well_, Pam thought as she sat down at the receptionist's desk at work, _it's done. Jim knows._

As Pam began to tend to the small mountain of faxes that were waiting to be sent out, she thought back on breakfast. Now, Pam found it strange that she had been so anxious. She had been all right until he actually sat down across from her, and then the butterflies in her stomach took over. Just seeing Jim had been nerve-wracking, but telling him about the baby… well, Pam had been more nervous to tell Jim than she had been when she told Roy. Of course, as her husband, Roy's reaction was somewhat more predictable: he was going to be a father whether he liked it or not. Fortunately for Pam, Roy, and the baby, he seemed to be on board and looking forwards to being a parent as much as Pam was.

Jim, on the other hand… well, his reaction was not at all predictable. Pam had to tell him. This was so life-changing that there was no other option. She had been concerned about telling him face-to-face, however. Honestly, Pam would rather have done it over the phone, maybe leave the news in a voicemail. She knew that at some point, Jim had at least thought that he loved her, and Pam certainly didn't relish telling him if that was the case. She knew that she wouldn't be happy if someone she loved was having a baby with someone else. After how close she and Jim used to be, though, she felt she owed it to him to tell him in person. When Pam had arranged to meet him for breakfast, she had been prepared for several different possibilities. First, Jim might not care at all. After all, while he had been one of Pam's closest friends in Scranton, he had moved to Stamford. Perhaps he had moved on from her as well. Second, Jim might be upset. He might think it was weird that she was contacting him again. Maybe he would even be resentful. And, of course, as it turned out, he might be happy for them.

Pam smiled to herself. She was glad he was happy for her and Roy.

Now she just had to tell the people at work.

Since she would prefer to not have to tell everyone individually, Pam was toying with the idea of telling just one person, who would then inform everybody else. If you had information that you wanted everyone to know, the obvious person to tell would be Michael. Insensitive and chatty, Michael would make sure everyone knew within two minutes. Of course, it would probably involve either a public announcement or an urgent memo, undoubtedly phrased in the most vulgar and embarrassing way possible. Or there was Kelly. The office gossip would not rest until everyone knew, and at least Kelly would be positive about it. Yes, Kelly would be the person to tell.

"Hey, Pam!" Kelly exclaimed. Pam looked up. Kelly was standing in front of her desk. "Where've you been all morning?"

Pam smiled, realizing what perfect timing Kelly had. "Oh, you know, just running some errands," Pam dismissed Kelly's question quickly, eager to get to her big news.

"Oh. Well, everyone missed you," Kelly replied, inspecting her manicure. She dropped her hand abruptly, an excited expression on her face. "Oh my god, did you hear what-"

"Actually, Kelly, I have some news," Pam cut her off, not wanting to sit through another celebrity gossip tirade.

"Oooh! Really?"

Pam nodded. "Mm hmm."

"Even better. What is it? You have to tell!"

Pam leaned forwards conspiratorially. On the other side of the desk, Kelly did the same, an eager gleam in her eyes. Even more than celebrity gossip, Kelly could not resist the draw of office gossip. "I'm pregnant," Pam whispered, a smile stretching across her face.

"You're- Really?" Kelly squealed. "Aww, you're gonna have a baby! Roy's the daddy?"

"Yeah, of course," Pam answered, slightly disconcerted that Kelly had needed to ask.

"Oh my god, this is the greatest thing!. How far along are you? When's the due date?" Kelly wanted to know, practically jumping up and down with excitement.

"March 29th."

"You're going to have a spring baby! I'm so happy for you two," Kelly exclaimed, darting around the desk to give Pam a hug.

"Oh, thanks, Kelly," Pam said, patting Kelly on the back softly.

"It's awfully soon, isn't it? I mean you guys just got married, what, six weeks ago? Were you two trying to get pregnant?" Kelly asked.

"Um, no, we weren't trying, but we're really excited," Pam answered awkwardly.

"So, do you have any names picked out yet?"

"Uh, Roy and I hadn't really had a chance to-"

"I've always loved Maya and Zen. You're welcome to either of those, if you want." Kelly shared, leaning back against Pam's desk.

"What if it's a boy?" Pam asked doubtfully. She wasn't sold on either name either way.

"Zen is if it's a boy, silly," Kelly giggled. "Ugh, I have to get back to work. We should totally go out to lunch to celebrate!"

"Oh, um, yeah. Definitely," Pam responded, slightly overwhelmed by Kelly's exuberance.

"Awesome!" Kelly called back over her shoulder as she practically danced away, leaving Pam with odd the sensation that perhaps Kelly was more excited than she herself was.

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"Hey, Jim," Karen greeted him as he dropped his bag next to his desk and plopped down into his swivel chair. 

"Hey," Jim replied slowly, twisting a little to the left, then a little to the right repeatedly.

"You okay?"

Jim stopped twisting. "Hmm? Yeah. I'm fine," he assured her.

The dark-haired woman shrugged. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

He didn't respond; even if he could bear to put the thoughts in his head into words, there was no way Karen could understand. No matter how many colorful adjectives Jim used, it was not possible for Karen to comprehend how his stomach writhed, how his chest had tightened and even now, an hour and a half later, it was still difficult to breathe, or how suddenly it just seemed like the world had fewer things to look forward to. There just weren't words to make her understand that.

Jim booted up his computer. He knew there was no way he could be productive today, but he could at least pretend to be working. The morning's events had made him feel lost and exhausted. Absently, Jim ran a hand through his hair, thinking of the image of Pam at the diner, laughing and happy. He hoped he had been able to convince her that he felt nothing but happiness as well. That façade was what had made him exhausted. It was remarkably tiring to pretend to be cheerful for her. He could do no less, however; Jim could no more be openly unhappy and dampen her enthusiasm than wave his arms and fly away.

Jim had known that someday Roy and Pam would have children. It was inevitable, and he had accepted that fact. Married people have children, and Roy and Pam were married now. But there is a big difference between "someday" and "happening now". Jim told himself that if Pam and Roy had children later, he wouldn't have cared so much. He would be more removed from the situation and it wouldn't affect him so greatly. Whereas now… now, Jim kept involuntarily picturing it. He pictured Pam, large with child. Jim imagined the baby, small and fragile, later growing into a kid who would go to school, and maybe play soccer… all with Roy. Jim shook his head; his imagination was running rampart, and it felt like it was killing him.

"You okay there, Big Tuna?" Andy asked. Jim glanced up from his computer screen to see Andy turned around and watching him. He wondered briefly how long the Cornell graduate had been staring at him.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," Jim lied. _Just dying slowly,_ he thought. "Why?"

"You've been looking at a blank screen for the past six and a half minutes," Andy replied, consulting his watch.

"Right. Better get to work, then."

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Please revieeeewwwwwww. 


	4. Chapter 4

_Whatever Happens: Chapter 4_

Thanks again to all the people who are reviewing. Reviews really mean a lot to me.

I got this chapter up fairly quickly (for me, anyway). Plus, it's pretty long (again, for me), so double bonus!

Enjoy!

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"Hey, Pam. Kelly told me you and Roy are pregnant." 

Pam looked up from her game of solitaire to see Toby standing in front of her desk. "More me than Roy, but yeah," she replied lightly.

"That's great," Toby added.

"Yeah, we're really excited. You heading out?"

"Yeah. You?"

Pam glanced at the clock. It was a few minutes after five; Roy should be coming up soon, and then they would walk out together. "Yeah, any minute now," she answered.

"All right, well, see you tomorrow," he added, before ducking his head and heading out the door.

Pam resumed her game, smiling. Her plan to have Kelly tell everyone had gone perfectly. In just twenty-four hours since telling Kelly, everybody in the office had come up to Pam and told her congratulations, beginning with Michael and ending now with Toby. Dwight had even gone so far as to give her the number of the midwife who had delivered him. Pam had discreetly put it through the shredder later, but she appreciated the thought behind the gesture.

"Hey babe, you ready?" Roy's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, one moment." Pam moved a six onto a five, which one click later unveiled the fourth ace. She could see the end in sight: three, maybe four more moves, and Pam would win.

"C'mon, Pam." Pam looked up at him. Roy looked irritated. Maybe it had been a bad day for him. Not wanting to start a fight at work, Pam closed her game-two moves away, goshdarnit- and turned off her computer. She grabbed her purse from under her desk, and obediently followed her husband out the door.

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Under his porchlight, Jim was fumbling with his keys. After weeks in Stamford, he still couldn't easily locate the key to his new apartment. It was a cramped, one-bedroom place, and Jim wasn't particularly fond of it. As a single person, he didn't really need more space, but it felt more like a cheap hotel room than his home. Plus, the key looked and felt just like all his other keys, making it impossible to find quickly. 

Finally, he found the proper key and unlocked the door. Jim picked up his bag of take-out food and went inside. He flipped a light switch, illuminating the living room/kitchen room, and dropped his bag on the ground. He made his way to the refrigerator for a beer, glancing at the clock on his microwave. 6:32. Thirty-three hours since Pam had told him.

Jim uncapped the beer, and took a sip. Yesterday had been hard, but so had today. He wondered if it would get easier to live with the knowledge. It probably would; hopefully it would. Jim could barely admit it to himself, but even after Roy and Pam got married, he'd harbored the hope that someday Pam might change her mind about Roy. After all, people get divorced all the time. If Pam divorced Roy, well, maybe Jim and Pam would have a shot then. But a baby... a baby was permanent. There was no divorcing a child. Pam might be the kind of person who would tell a friend she was having a baby without thinking about how it would affect them, but she would never leave her child. Jim took another sip of his beer, before sighing and setting it on the counter. The drink wouldn't fix the situation. He looked at the bag from the Chinese place Karen had recommended, but realized he wasn't hungry anyway so he opened the refrigerator door and slid the bag in.

Then he left the kitchen/living room and went into the bedroom. A few minutes later, Jim emerged wearing sweat pants and a plain gray t-shirt. There was no one to impress here, no need to look nice. He hit the power button on the remote, turning the TV on, and began to channel surf. Jim kept meaning to get the cable set up, but hadn't got around to it yet. This made his choices rather limited: a documentary on grasshoppers, an informercial for make-up, or a marathon of 'America's Next Top Model'. Grasshoppers freaked him out, he had no need for make-up, and so Jim went with 'America's Next Top Model'.

Drawn into the drama of the excessively thin girls, Jim lost track of time. The next thing he knew, his neighbor's loud grandfather clock was chiming twelve times- it was midnight. Jim shook his head, amazed that so much time could pass so quickly, before standing and stretching his arms above his head. He reached for the remote and was about to turn the television off when there was the sound of someone knocking on his door.

Jim froze, wondering who could be visiting him this late. Maybe Andy had sent him a pizza to get back at him for calling at eleven o'clock at night to ask for some Call of Duty tips (how was Jim supposed to know that Andy went to bed promptly at ten on work nights?). Maybe one of his neighbors was at the door. Or, maybe it was an axe murderer, who had just so happened to pick his apartment, out of the thousands of other apartments in Stamford. _Hey, _Jim thought,_ you never know._

To be on the safe side, Jim pulled back the edge of the curtain on one of his windows to see. Once Jim saw who it was, he knew he would have been less surprised to see the axe murderer. Stunned and surprised, Jim slowly moved to the door. He fumbled with the lock for a few seconds before pulling the door open.

"Hey," Jim said softly.

"Hey," Pam echoed, hands jammed into the pockets of her jeans and staring at the ground.

Jim leaned against the door frame casually, as though she showed up on his doorstep at midnight all the time. "What're you doing here?"

She shrugged. "I was in the neighborhood…" Pam trailed off, the faintest shadow of a grin spreading across her face.

"Oh, really. Tell me, are you in my neighborhood a lot, Beesly?" Jim asked lightly. Oh, wait. He couldn't call her Beesly anymore. Judging by how stiff she suddenly seemed, she had caught his slip also. He cleared his throat. "Right, sorry."

"It's all right," Pam muttered, still inspecting her toes.

"Is everything okay?" Jim asked, a bit concerned by her unwillingness to look at him.

She didn't answer right away. Finally, Pam said, "You know, I probably shouldn't have come here. I'll just... I'll just go." Pam jerked her thumb back towards the apartment complex's parking lot. "Sorry to bother you so late."

Jim watched as she turned and began to walk away. His brain screamed at him to tell her to stop, to tell her to wait and tell her to tell him what was going on, but his muscles seemed paralyzed. It took until the time Pam had walked away from his door, all the way to the sidewalk leading to the parking lot for his vocal chords to comply. "Pam, no, wait!" Jim called. Pam paused. Jim bolted from his door, and when he was close enough, gently placed a hand on her shoulder and spun her around. Fresh tears shimmered in her eyes, but based on how red and puffy her eyes were, Pam had been crying for a long time before now.

"Pam, what's wrong?" Jim demanded, deeply concerned now. It didn't matter how deeply she had hurt him in the past. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her tightly and hug her until she felt better, even if that meant that they would stay on the sidewalk all night long. But Pam was married now, and Jim couldn't behave the way he wanted. He would have to settle for a hand on her shoulder.

She shook her head, and tried to turn away, but Jim's hand continued to apply gentle pressure, urging her to face him. "It's nothing," she whispered, a lone tear slipping down her cheek.

Jim tilted his head, his expression serious. "Pam, it's not nothing," he insisted. _Not if it's got you so worked up_, Jim added in his head.

Pam drew a deep, shuddering breath before answering. "Roy and I had a fight."

Anger bubbled up inside of him. Roy. Of course it was Roy's fault. Jim had tried to make his peace with the fact that Roy was Pam's husband, but if Roy was going to upset Pam so, he certainly didn't deserve to be married to her. Making his resentment of Roy known now would not help Pam, however, so Jim forced it down. "Okay," Jim said. "Let's go back inside. You can splash some water on your face, and then if you want, we can talk about it. Okay?"

Pam hesitated, but finally agreed. "Okay."

Jim turned, and slowly led her back to his apartment. He contemplated wrapping an arm around her, thinking that it might bring her some comfort, but ultimately decided that pushing the boundaries wasn't the best idea just then.

"The bathroom's that way," Jim told her, pointing to one of the two closed doors in his apartment, once they were inside his apartment.

"Thanks." Pam sniffled, walking into the bathroom.

Jim heard the facet running a moment later and sat down on the couch. He stood up instantly as it occurred to him that perhaps Pam would like something to eat, and walked briskly over to the refrigerator. The only food he had was the Chinese take-out from earlier; it would have to do. Jim took out a couple cartons of rice and placed them in the microwave. By the time Pam emerged from the bathroom, the food was done and steaming.

"I thought you might be hungry," Jim explained, gesturing at the cartons of rice.

"Starving, actually," she replied, moving closer. Pam seemed much calmer now. Jim scooped rice into two bowls and handed one to her, keeping one for himself.

"I, uh, haven't gotten around to buying a table or chairs, so we can just eat on the couch," Jim offered, somewhat embarrassed by his living conditions. He had been there for over a month; there was no good reason for him to not be entirely settled in yet. Jim supposed that the real reason he hadn't bought chairs or had his cable set up was because he didn't care much anymore. Until this evening, no one except him was ever around to care, so what did it really matter if his home wasn't very homely?

"Sure." Pam followed him to the couch and sat next to him. "So what are we watching?"

Jim's eyes flickered to the television. _Uh oh_, he thought, cringing. Jim had forgotten to turn off 'America's Next Top Model'. It was on a commercial break currently; maybe if he changed the channel quickly…. No, he was too late. The theme song was starting, indicating the commencement of the next episode. It was painfully obvious exactly what he was watching.

"'America's Next Top Model'?" Pam's voice was accusing. Jim turned to look at her, and she looked moderately amused, considering the situation. He could tell she was hiding a smirk.

"I was… channel surfing?" He tried, hopefully, turning the television off.

Pam shook her head, giggling softly. "I caught you red-handed, Halpert. Admit it."

"Never," Jim said dramatically.

A silence descended upon them as both of them ate their rice. Jim still wasn't particularly hungry, but he was willing to force himself to eat so Pam wouldn't feel weird. Eventually, Pam finished her bowl.

"Thank you," she said, softly. Something in the way Pam said it suggested she was grateful for more than just the rice

"No trouble." Jim set his bowl on the floor. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Pam sighed, staring at her empty bowl. "Roy, um, had a bad day at work today. One of the warehouse guys kept messing with him, and the point is Roy was really irritated by the time we went home. I, uh, I suggested that maybe we should go get some parenting books, since we weren't really busy but Roy just wanted to relax and watch the game. He kind of snapped at me, and I snapped back, and then we both started yelling at each other and name calling… and it wasn't pretty."

"I'm sure it wasn't," Jim responded, when she paused. "He really got that worked up about parenting books?"

Pam shook her head. "We were arguing about all sorts of stuff. It seems like we've been doing that a lot since… we've been arguing a lot lately."

"I see."

"I don't get so upset, usually," she admitted, lifting her head and looking at him. "I just… I don't know. Tonight I just couldn't take it anymore." Pam paused, allowing Jim to nod understandingly. "And then I couldn't stay there anymore. I needed somewhere else to go, so I came here."

"Yeah, how did you figure out where I live?" Jim asked. It had finally occurred to him that Pam shouldn't know where his apartment in Stamford was.

She smiled slightly. "I have my sources," she replied, yawning. "Ugh. I should probably get going. It's late, and you probably want to get to sleep." Pam stood, picked up her bowl, and took it over to the sink.

Jim also stood. "Pam, Scranton is two hours away," he pointed out.

She turned around, and walked back over to her spot on the couch where she had left her purse. "I know. I should get going."

"Why don't you just… why don't you just stay here? Just for tonight," Jim added hastily, not wanting his intentions to be misinterpreted.

Pam hesitated. "I don't know…"

"C'mon. You're exhausted. And do you really want to go back to him right now?"

"No, but I don't want you to feel like you have to let me stay."

"I know I don't have to," Jim replied. "But the salesman was quite adamant that this couch unfolds to a full-sized bed somehow, and besides, it's late."

"You really don't mind?"

"No, I really don't," Jim said, truthfully. "Now, come on and help me get these cushions out of the way."

Pam deposited her purse on the counter and helped him move the couch cushions to the side. She watched as Jim struggled to pull the bed out and wrestled with the mattress briefly to get it to lie flat. When he was satisfied, Jim stood up straight. "I, uh, I don't have an extra set of sheets," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "Hang on…" Jim went into his bedroom and came back with a folded cotton blanket. "Sorry, this is all I have." He tossed it onto the mattress.

"That's fine." Pam smiled. "Thank you."

"All right then. Well, I'm going to go to sleep now. If you need anything else, you know where to find me," Jim said.

"Okay." Pam kicked off her shoes and unfolded the blanket as Jim walked back into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

Inside his room, Jim collapsed onto his bed. It was late, past one o'clock in the morning now, and his muscles were fatigued. But she was here, in his apartment! Pam was spending the night at his apartment! She was going to fall asleep here, dream here, wake up here….

The thought had him completely enthralled for nearly a minute, before Jim drifted off to sleep.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

_Whatever Happens: Chapter 5_

Thank you to all the people who are reviewing!

Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. This chapter's fairly longish as well.

Enjoy!

* * *

When she woke up, Pam did not open her eyes right away. The wonderful aroma of breakfast was enough sensory stimulation for a moment. Eggs, bacon, sausage; her mouth watered at the thought. She tried and failed to remember the last time Roy had made her breakfast. She couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from lifting. Roy must be feeling awfully sorry about their argument the night before if he was making breakfast for her. 

Pam heard the clanking of silverware. Breakfast must be almost ready, and Roy was setting the table. She took that as her cue, and opened her eyes. Then she froze.

She was not in her home.

Pam bolted upright in a panicked frenzy. This wasn't her bed! This wasn't her home! Where was she?

"Morning, sleepyhead."

She whirled her head around and saw Jim, of all people, standing in the kitchen area, holding a spatula.

Ah, she was in _Jim's _apartment.

"Breakfast is just about ready," he added, turning back to tend to the stove. "For your dining pleasure this morning, Café Halpert is serving scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and a most wonderful dish we call toast a la Jim."

"Toast a la Jim?" Pam echoed.

He grinned. "Toast with butter and your choice of strawberry or grape jam."

"Grape, please."

"Coming right up."

Pam watched him move around the kitchen for a moment as her brain sluggishly tried to process last night's events. She had been upset enough that the drive from Scranton was fuzzy, but she remembered all too well pouring out her problems to Jim later. Pam felt embarrassed about her behavior now, knowing that Jim most likely did not want to hear the details of her married life.

On the bright side, however, this embarrassment prevented Pam from feeling just a teensy bit self-conscious of the fact that she was wearing no make-up and her hair was mussed.

Pam's stomach rumbled abruptly. She saw that Jim was scooping eggs onto plates already laden with bacon, sausage, and toast. Pam pushed the blanket off her legs and stood up, discreetly running a few fingers through her hair simultaneously. She quickly folded the blanket, before attempting to fold the mattress back into its original couch form.

"Here, let me…" He grabbed the mattress and tried to force it down. Jim had little more success that Pam had, but between the two of them, they managed to restore the couch. Pam was panting slightly from the effort, but Jim seemed impervious to the physical strain.

"Breakfast is served," he announced, handing her a plate. Silverware and a glass of orange juice followed shortly, and Jim joined her on the couch with his own food moments later.

"Wow. This looks amazing. Where did all this come from?" Pam asked, astonished at the abundant breakfast in front of her.

Jim took a bite of his bacon. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Jim, I saw your fridge last night. There was _nothing_ there."

He shrugged. "I ran to the grocery store while you were sleeping," Jim explained. "I've been awake for a while."

"Well, nice work, Halpert," Pam said, approvingly. All the food looked good, and smelled better. She decided to start with the toast.

For a few minutes, they sat silently, side by side on the couch. He devoured his bacon and sausage, she munched on her toast. The silence didn't last long, however.

"So about last night…" Jim began, setting his fork down on the edge of his plate.

Pam felt a red flush creeping up her face. "Yeah, about that. Look, I'm sorry I-"

"No, I mean, you don't need to… you shouldn't feel bad about coming here," Jim interrupted, smiling slightly despite his serious tone. "We're friends, and last night you needed a friend."

She returned his smile. "You're right. Thank you."

"And you shouldn't hesitate to do it again, if you need to."

"Oh." Pam hadn't really been expecting him to be so accommodating. "Okay."

"Okay," Jim repeated casually, before returning to his food. Pam followed his lead, and took another slow bite of her toast.

By the time Pam had finally eaten the rest of her toast, Jim had finished his whole plate. He walked over to the kitchen and set his dishes in the sink with every intention of washing them later, after work. Jim glanced at his watch: 8:23. He was going to be late for work, but that was okay. They could get by without him for a few hours.

As he set about the task of refilling his glass of orange juice, Jim said, "I have an extra toothbrush I never used in the medicine cabinet, if you want to brush your teeth." He took a large gulp. When Pam didn't respond right away, Jim turned around. She was staring down at her plate, which was untouched except for the toast crumbs. "You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Okay." Jim's tone was doubtful. There was an expression on her face he didn't recognize, but he wasn't going to press the issue. Like so many other things, it was her business and not his. "I can take your plate, if you're done."

"Actually….." Pam trailed off abruptly. She set her mostly-full plate on the floor, jumped up, and practically ran the six feet to the bathroom.

"Pam?" Jim placed his glass on the counter as quickly as he could without breaking it and followed, concerned. He arrived in the doorway of the bathroom just in time to witness the toast come back up.

Toast a la Jim looked a lot better going down than up.

"Woah, there." Jim tentatively stepped in to the bathroom. "Pam? You okay?"

She merely tightened her grip on sides of the toilet and began to gag again. Jim knelt next to her. One hand carefully pulled her curly hair away from her face. He half expected her to send him away, and was thus somewhat surprised when she didn't so much as flinch. Encouraged, Jim began to softly rub his other hand up and down on her back in a comforting manner. This required being close enough that their bodies were touching, and Jim decided that he would rather have liked it, had she not been throwing up.

They stayed like this for the next five minutes or so, until Pam stopped retching. She sat back, and Jim dropped his hands, not wanting to overstep any boundaries. "Can I get you some water?" He offered, needing something to do.

"Sure."

Jim stood, went into the kitchen, and came back with a glass of water. "Here you go," Jim said, handing it to her.

"Thanks." Pam took a small sip and swished it around her mouth as Jim sat back down on the bathroom floor next to her.

"Are you okay?" Jim asked again.

"Still a little nauseous, but I think I'm done for now," she replied. "You know what I think that was?"

"No, what?"

"I think that was morning sickness!"

"Oh. Has it, uh, happened before, then?" He inquired, clearing his throat. For a few minutes there, he had almost forgotten that Pam was pregnant.

Pam shook her head. "No, no, this is the first time," she answered, beaming.

Jim raised an eyebrow; never before had he seen someone so excited about puking. He supposed it was a "parent" thing, which he wouldn't understand. "That's… great." Jim stood up again. "Why don't we get out of the bathroom," he suggested, extending a hand towards her.

"Okay." Pam placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her to her feet. "I should probably get going, anyway. I'm sure you have to get to work, and Michael's probably…" Pam groaned. "Oh, god, Michael."

"Gotcha covered." Jim laughed softly at the surprise on her face. "After I got back from the grocery store, I called Toby and asked him to tell Michael that you had a family emergency and would be a little late."

Pam just looked at him, a simple smile on her face that almost stopped his heart. "Thank you," she said, and he could tell that she was being sincere. "For everything."

Jim appreciated her gratitude more than his quick dismissal of "what are friends for?" revealed; he didn't want to make a big fuss and complicate things.

"I think I've imposed on you long enough, though. I should get going," Pam announced, reaching for her purse.

He wished she would stay longer, but knew he couldn't tell her that. Instead, Jim grabbed a brown paper bag off the counter and handed it to her. "In case you get hungry on the way back," he explained, as she opened it and pulled out a mixed berry yogurt.

She laughed. "Thanks."

Jim moved to the door and opened it. "I just want you to promise me something, okay?"

"Sure. What?"

"If you and Roy have another fight, or whatever, I want you to call me, okay? Don't even hesitate. If you need somewhere to go again, or just someone to talk to, I'm your guy. All right?"

Pam smiled. "I'm pretty sure we got it out of our systems last night."

"Promise me, though?"

"Yeah. I promise."

"Okay then. Drive safe," Jim offered.

"Bye." As he watched Pam walk out the door and back to her car, Jim couldn't help but hope that her and Roy did fight again. He knew it was a horrible thing to wish for, but if it meant she called him or visited again, then from his perspective, it would be worth it.

* * *

Back in Scranton, Pam had not been seated at her desk for more than a minute when Michael called her. 

"Pam! You're back! Everything okay?" He wanted to know.

"Oh, um, yes, everybody's fine," Pam replied, scrambling to think of a fake family emergency. "My aunt thought she was dying, but it turned out she just had low blood sugar."

"Low blood sugar? That's why you were late today? How do I know you and Roy weren't breaking in your new mattress?"

"Michael, do you need me to do anything?" She asked, out of patience already. She was not in the mood to deal with Michael's dirty insinuations.

"Yes. Could you send Ryan in here? I seem to be having a problem with this Internet stock portfolio thing he was telling me about earlier."

"Sure Michael." Pam pressed a button, and waited for Ryan to pick up.

"Ryan Howard."

"Ryan, this is Pam."

"Hey, Pam." Ryan turned in his swivel chair and looked at her. Pam smiled; it struck her as somewhat amusing that they were about ten feet away but using the phones to communicate.

"Michael needs to see you in his office," she informed him. Ryan didn't move. "Everything okay?"

Ryan sighed heavily. "Yeah." He hung up, and trudged into Michael's office.

Pam set the phone back down, and returned to writing an e-mail to her mom. She had just hit send when the door to the office opened to admit Roy.

He approached her desk slowly. "Hey," Roy greeted her quietly.

"Hey," Pam echoed nonchalantly.

"Wanna go for a walk?"

"I got here late today and I've got this big stack of faxes I have to tend to. I don't think I can leave just now," she replied blandly, adding another line to her e-mail. She knew if she went with him, she would end up forgiving him. Pam wasn't sure she was ready to do so.

"Please, Pam?"

Pam looked up at her husband. The expression on his face suggested that he sincerely wanted to talk. She didn't like being mad at him; now was as good a time as ever to make up. "Okay." Pam hit send and followed Roy out the door.

Roy didn't speak again until they were outside the building. It was a pleasant day outside, sunny but not too warm for comfort. Together, him and Pam began to leisurely walk down the block.

"I had a rough day yesterday," Roy began, as they stopped at an intersection to wait for a car to pass. "I shouldn't have taken it out on you." He paused, perhaps waiting for a response. Pam didn't give one. "I think we both said things we didn't mean last night, and I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Pam admitted.

"Look, babe, I love you." Roy sighed. "And I think we should run by the bookstore tonight to get some of those parenting books. Maybe we can even get one of those baby name books," Roy suggested as they entered the crosswalk.

Pam looked up at him and smiled. "I'd like that."

Roy returned her grin, and reached for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. "So where did you go last night?"

Pam shrugged. "Just to a friend's house. Oh, and hey, you'll never guess what happened!" Pam proceeded to tell him all about the morning sickness. Roy was grossed out just hearing about the experience and didn't hesitate to voice it, but Pam didn't really care. She was just glad they had made up.

Fifteen minutes later, when they got back to the office, it was almost as though their fight had never happened at all.

Almost.

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